Nevada Solar for All Community Councils

The Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) proudly announces the launch of five Nevada Solar for All Community Councils, each dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of solar energy reach Nevada’s low-income and historically underserved communities.

These councils include the Persistent Poverty Community Council, Local Governments and Schools Community Council, Affordable Housing Community Council, Tribal Advisory Board, and Labor Community Council. Composed of members from their respective communities and supported by NCEF staff, these councils will play a critical role in shaping solar energy initiatives that address the unique needs of each group.

  • Persistent Poverty Community Council
  • Affordable Housing Community Council
  • Tribal Advisory Board
  • Labor Community Council
  • Local Governments & Schools Community Council

Each council is composed of members from their respective communities, supported by NCEF staff, and tasked with shaping solar energy initiatives that reflect their unique needs. Their insights, drawn from surveys, listening sessions, and other community engagement methods, will guide the Solar for All program to ensure equitable access to solar energy.

Persistent Poverty Community Council Members

  • Dr. Mary House, CEO, CHR Inc.
  • Liz Becker, IRA Campaign Coordinator, and Ericka Castro, Organizing Director, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
  • Tracy Byrd, Director Outreach Ministry, Mountaintop Faith Ministries
  • Joselyn Cousins, Assistant Vice President, Community Development and Regional Manager, Nevada, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
  • Lizette Guillen, CEO, Nevada Partners
  • Jessica Mahon, Program Director - Weatherization and Workforce Development, Community Services Agency Reno
  • Audrey Peral, State Director, Chispa Nevada
  • Chasity Martinez, Community Organizer, Faith in Action Nevada
  • Janet Quintero, Vice President of External Affairs, United Way of Southern Nevada
  • Jackie Spicer, Climate Equity Policy Fellow, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition
  • Kathi Thomas, Community Services Director Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority
  • Assemblywoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong
  • Assemblyman Howard Watts

Affordable Housing Community Council Members

  • Natalie Prochaska, Director of Planning & Research, Nevada HAND
  • Beth Dunning, Director of Community Development, Nevada Rural Housing;
  • Maurice Page, Executive Director and Juawana Grant, Director of Education and Outreach, Nevada Housing Coalition
  • Christine Hess, CFO, Nevada Housing Division
  • JD Klippenstein, Director of Development, Reno Housing Authority
  • Jess Molasky, COO, and Armen Hadjimanoukian, Director of Development, Ovation Development & Management
  • Eric Novak, President, Praxis Consulting Group
  • David Paull, Managing Director,CORE Advisory Partners
  • Michael Sciortino, Vice President of Development, Brinshore Development
  • Frank Stafford, Director of Modernization and Development, Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority.

Tribal Advisory Board Members

  • Andrea Martinez, Chairman, Walker River Paiute Tribe
  • Nicole Castillo, TERO Program Director, Walker River Paiute Tribe
  • Daphne Emm Hooper, Director of Indigenous Relations, University of Nevada, Reno
  • Benjamin Lee John, Tribal Business Officer, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
  • Thurman Roberts, Tribal Career Navigator, Nevadaworks.

Labor Community Council Members

  • Steve Hamile, COO, Sol-Up
  • Rob Benner, Secretary Treasurer of Building Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada
  • Pesach Chananiah, State Policy Organizer, BlueGreen Alliance
  • Warren Hardy, Warren Hardy Strategies
  • Travis Miller, Owner, Great Basin Solar
  • Guy Snow, President of SolarNV.

Local Governments & Schools Community Council Members

  • Brian Beffort, Sustainability Manager, Washoe County
  • Robert Burgy, Sustainability and Climate Manager, Clark County Department of Environment & Sustainability
  • Suzanne Groneman, Sustainability Manager, City of Reno
  • Tory Jackson, Sustainability and Climate Manager, City of Henderson
  • Phoebe Judge, Sustainability Manager, University of Nevada, Reno
  • Marco Velotta, Planner and Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Las Vegas.

These councils represent diverse voices across Nevada, working together to ensure the Solar for All program reaches those who need it most. This partnership-driven approach is how NCEF, with the support of its community councils, will drive sustainable, long-lasting change across the state.

If you want to learn how you or your community can benefit from solar energy, reach out to us today. We're here to help ensure Nevada's clean energy future is equitable and accessible to all.